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SciTech debuts nuclear exhibit
developed by Argonne, ComEd

"Nuclear Power Technology" comprises three separate interactive exhibits developed by Argonne, ComEd and a noted physicist from the former Soviet Union. Together, the exhibits show how the energy released from the atom according to Einstein's famous equation, E = mc2, is converted into electricity used in homes and businesses.

The exhibits include:

* The "Hands-On Chain Reaction," developed by physicist Vladimir Nikitin with funding from Argonne. The exhibit uses spheres and ball bearings to create a 3-D demonstration of the nuclear chain reaction that takes place in the core of a nuclear reactor.

* The "Power Game," invented by Argonne engineer Roger Tilbrook (RE). This hands-on, working model demonstrates the operation of a commercial boiling water reactor, like those that ComEd uses to generate about half of its nuclear-generated electricity.

* The "Reactor Computer Simulator," programmed by Argonne scientist Pat Garner (RA). This touch-screen computer game challenges the player to control a nuclear reactor, raising the power output to 100 percent as quickly as possible, while keeping the core cool and safe.

* Panels and graphics developed by ComEd and Argonne, which explain key nuclear terms, such as "nucleus," "chain reaction" and "control rod."

SciTech is located at 18 W. Benton St. in downtown Aurora.

Dave Weber (RE) managed the exhibit's development for Argonne.

Writer, futurist Frederick Pohl
to speak at Argonne-East March 13

Pohl has combined three careers: writer, book and magazine editor and lecturer and consultant. His books, including the Gateway series, have won science fiction's most prestigious prizes, including several John F. Campbell and Hugo Awards and a Grand Master Nebula, given by professional writers in the field for lifetime achievement.

Among his novels are "Man Plus," "Mining the Oort", "Outnumbering the Dead" and "The World At The End of Time." His most recent "mainstream" novel, "Chernobyl," is based on the 1986 nuclear-plant disaster in Ukraine. His latest non-fiction work, "Our Angry Earth," is a study of the consequences of environmental change.

His talks focus on the future, including social, technological and environmental change and its complex ramifications. He has lectured at major universities, from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to Northwestern University, and to major corporations, like General Motors and Dow-Corning. He has appeared on more than 500 radio and television shows, including the Johnny Carson Show.

The lecture is sponsored by the Energy Technology Division.

`Chain reaction' filming launches
film career for ESH's Specht

Specht spent several days on location with the film at the Calumet Water Treatment Plant on Chicago's South Side, and her life hasn't been the same since. Although the movie wasn't a major box-office hit, it spawned a chain reaction for Specht's acting career, and she has parlayed her first turn on the big screen into a number of acting jobs.

"`Chain Reaction' was my golden opportunity," she said. Specht met a lot of people on the `Reaction' set willing to give her pointers on the business, including Margaret Travolta -- yes, John's sister. "She was so nice and so willing to open up and explain the how-tos and nuts and bolts of the business. We talked for the longest time."

Armed with the information she learned from Travolta and others on the "Chain Reaction" set, Specht registered with several casting agencies in Chicago.

"I also started reading as much as I could," she said. "It really does pay off to do a lot of research before doing something like this."

Soon, the opportunities for auditions started coming in. "Every experience since has been one of networking and learning."

Her next acting job was an industrial video. Specht also appears in a new 911 video being shown here at Argonne. She's the lady stuck in the elevator.

This fall she spent six days as an extra in the movie "The Jackal" starring Richard Gere, Sidney Poitier and Bruce Willis. The movie was filmed at Meigs Field just prior to the airport's closing.

Specht had the opportunity to be in scenes with all three actors. "Sidney Poitier is very distinguished," she said. "He does have this incredible air about him."

She was also on the set for one of this season's more highly publicized episodes of the hit television series "ER." She played one of the many commuters at Union Station when Dr. Susan Lewis left Chicago, breaking Mark Greene's heart.

Those who knew what to look for spotted her, carrying her navy-colored coat, as actor Anthony Edwards ran past her trying to catch a departing train.

Being an extra may sound like a glamorous job to some, but that's hardly the case.

"Don't count on being pampered," Specht said. The hours are long, the weather can be brutal and sometimes, even the food is horrible. "But it can also be very rewarding."

Working on a film or TV show, she said, one quickly realizes the stars are just normal human beings and acting is their job. They're working, and the extras and others around them must respect that.

The highlight of Specht's past year in acting was a tortilla commercial she filmed the week before Christmas. In it, she plays one of the "fly girls" to the spot's star, "Wrappin' Rita." It was her first principal part. The 30-second commercial is currently being test marketed in Des Moines, Iowa and Birmingham, Ala.

Specht, whom some might remember from her days as an "Argonne Thespian" in the 1960s, says she is having fun with this, her one hobby. She also has a number of community theater roles under her belt and has been active in Toastmasters.

"I've always loved acting," she said. "It's exciting, because tomorrow brings another challenge."

High school inventors
to slip disks at contest

As many as 12 Chicago-area high school teams will try to answer that question on Friday, Feb. 28 when they compete in Argonne's second annual Rube Goldberg machine contest for high schools. Teams will match their creativity and engineering skills to see which team can build the most imaginative contraption to insert and play a CD. The contest will be held at Navy Pier in Chicago.

"Rube Goldberg contests give students a great way to demonstrate their creativity and imagination while actually learning something about science and engineering -- and having a whole lot of fun in the process," said Dean Eastman, Argonne's director and chief executive officer.

Rube Goldberg machine contests are inspired by Reuben Lucius Goldberg, whose cartoons combined simple household items into complex devices to perform trivial tasks. The machines combine the principles of physics and engineering, using common objects such as marbles, mousetraps, stuffed animals, electric mixers, vacuum cleaners, rubber tubes, bicycle parts and anything else that happens to be on hand.

Each member of the winning team and its faculty advisor will receive an Argonne 50th anniversary commemorative silver coin, an Argonne T-shirt, and a tour of Argonne, including lunch with Argonne scientists. The first-place team will also have the opportunity to demonstrate its winning machine at Purdue University's national Rube Goldberg machine contest, April 5, and at Argonne on the day of the tour.

Argonne's Divison of Educational Programs and Office of Public Affairs are sponsoring the event in collaboration with the Chicago Children's Museum, Rube Goldberg, Inc., and the national Rube Goldberg machine contest, held annually at Purdue University.

Speaker to present talk
on returning to college

The speaker will be Kate Watland, director of the Graham School of Management's Center for Management Development at Saint Xavier University. Watland will discuss common concerns shared by adults considering college degrees and offer advice, strategies, and insight on how to attain educational goals.

The seminar is sponsored by Human Resources and the Plant Facilities and Services.

For more information, contact Karen Kroczek (ESH) at ext. 2-8764 or John Hyzer (HR) at ext. 2-3503.

Child center to host
summer camp program

The program will be held daily from 7:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in Argonne-East's Building 951. It is open to children of Argonne, DOE and contractor employees and is for children entering the first through fifth grades.

Weekly tuition is $138 and includes snacks, lunches and weekly field trips to places such as Brookfield Zoo, the Little Red Schoolhouse, SciTech and Naper Settlement. Also included will be swimming at the Argonne Pool. There is also a one-time $25 registration and supply fee.

Space is limited. Call Judy Oliva at ext. 2-9601 for more information.

Latest anti-virus
protection software

Version 2.25C1 of "F-Prot" virus protection software for IBM-compatible personal computers is now available on the PC Public Volume (PCPUBLIC).

Versions are available for DOS/Win3.x, Windows 95 and Windows NT operating systems and Novell servers. Current registered owners of the F-Prot software can upgrade for free (access password remains the same). Others can register to use F-Prot with ECT Account Services for $5 per copy. Call ext 2-5425 to register.

Those with access to the World Wide Web can download F-Prot software from ECT's Web site.

For other useful computer security information, visit the Computer Protection home page.

ECT encourages employees to run regular virus checks to ensure infection-free workstations and servers.

Tornado drill
to be held March 4

Argonne-East's emergency management organization will participate in the drill by activating its backup emergency operations center in Building 221.

During the drill, emergency management employees will test emergency communications equipment at the backup facility through communications with the Argonne Fire Department, DuPage County and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency.

March seminars to train
severe weather spotters

"Tornado Shelter Workshop" will be held Friday, March 7, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in the Barrows Auditorium of the Billy Graham Center, 500 College Ave., Wheaton. This workshop is geared for emergency planners, business and industry owners, operators and managers and many others.

Workshop topics will include an update on the National Weather Service; overview of the severe weather warning system; identifying the best possible shelter space; developing a severe weather safety plan; and providing weather preparedness training for building occupants.

"Advanced Weather Spotter Workshop" will be held Saturday, March 8, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the college's Edmund Chapel at the corner of Franklin and Washington streets. This workshop is for those in the front line of the weather warning system, including amateur radio operators, emergency management personnel, police, fire, public works and utility workers.

Topics for this workshop will include the 1996 Illinois tornado outbreak; reporting severe weather; getting ready to spot tornadoes and other severe weather phenomenon; new ways to warn the public of severe weather; and an overview of the new EAS warning system.

The workshops are sponsored by the DuPage County Office of Emergency Management, the Department of Public Safety at Wheaton College and the College of DuPage Weather Office.

Anyone Argonne employees interested in attending either seminar should contact Mary Goodkind (ESH) at ext. 2-3316.

Professional Secretaries
offer scholarships

Letters and scholarship applications will be mailed to eligible applicants the week of Feb. 27. Selection criteria includes grade point average, community activities, college intentions and interviews. Scholarships will be awarded during Professional Secretaries Week in April.

Office of Quality Management
debuts home page on Web

The new homepage has information on OQM services including functions and contacts and quality education and training. There is also an up-to-date list of all DOE orders applicable to Argonne.

Future information available through the homepage will include a quality management library, performance measurement, contract deliverables and lessons learned/best practices.

ECT's Bob Aiken
to speak on lab's
network research

Bob Aiken, the manager of ECT's newly formed network research group, will discuss the state of federal networking initiatives, relevant committees, Argonne's external advanced networking connectivity and future directions and activities of network research.

The network research group is focusing on the next generation of Argonne scientific applications; a report is available.

ANL Guest House
to discontinue
old phone numbers

Both numbers will connect callers to the front desk, where they can receive reservation information, contact the Guest House general manager and other employees or guests.

Interim phone numbers used during the start-up of the Argonne Guest House telephone system are being discontinued.

Employees and their children
eligible for student exchange

Graduating seniors and graduate students who are U.S. citizens or permanent residents majoring in science, mathematics or engineering at universities or colleges in the U.S. are eligible.

Completed applications and recommendations must be received by Wednesday, March 5. Candidates selected for the program will be notified by Tuesday, March 11.

For an application or more information, contact Joanne Jacobson (OTD) at 2-9504 or jjacobson@anl.gov.

Argonne honored for support
of National Technical Association

Also recognized was Harvey Drucker, associate laboratory director for energy and environmental science and technology, for his role as a keynote speaker at the conference.

Drucker spoke at a plenary session with the topic "Collision Course: Energy -- Environmental Dilemma."

The NTA is the nation's oldest Afro-American technical professional association. It was established in 1925 as a means for Afro-Americans in technical fields of work and study to exchange information and ideas.

The NTA's goal is to ensure that minorities, women and students will be skilled enough in the sciences to meet the challenges of modern technology.

Taste of China
coming to cafeteria

From noon to 1 p.m., there will be demonstrations of paper cutting, paper folding (origami), calligraphy and preparation of Jiaozi, a traditional Chinese dumpling.

On Tuesday, Feb. 25, a panel of Argonne and DOE employees will discuss the traditions of Chinese New Year in various regions of Asia. The discussion will begin at noon in the Building 203 Auditorium.

Deadline Information

Story ideas, comments and suggestions are welcome. The Argonne News office is in Building 201, room 2Q-02 (OPA-201). The fax number is ext. 2-5274. Send E-mail to Argonne News editor Dave Jacque.

Seminar listings: Send by inter-office mail to Evie Fagan, Building 201, room 2U-09 (OPA-201). Fax to ext. 2-5274, or send by E-mail.

Classified ads: Please limit ads to 25 words. Send by inter-office mail to Evelyn Fagan, Building 201, room 2U-09 (OPA-201). A drop box is located at the Argonne News office.

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